December 19, 19 14 
LAND AND WATER 
CHOOSING KIT 
Practical Hints 
{Continued from pasi 151) 
THESE articles are written from practical experi- 
ence of military matters, with a view to keeping 
our readers in touch with the variousrequirements 
of active service. Changes of climate and the peculiar 
conditions under which the present campaign is being 
waged render different items of equipment advisable at 
different times, and we are in touch with officers at the 
front and others from whom the actual requirements of 
officers and men can be ascertained. The articles are 
not intended to advertise any particular firm or firms. 
The more the winter advances the more urgent does the 
matter of waterproofing become for all garments worn by 
officers and troops in the western area of war. In the east 
this question is not of so much urgency, for there is more of 
hard frost than rain and mud to contend with. In Flanders 
and France the desiderata are warmtli and dryness, and for 
the former there seems to be notliing so much in favour as 
the leather vest. 
Leather and Wet 
Ordinary leather vests, both lined with fleece and unlined, 
are being taken out by the hundred by officers and men who 
know what the conditions are like, and have " had some," 
to use a colloquialism. The one drawback to ordinary 
leather wear is the difficulty of rendering it so waterproof as 
not to absorb wet ; to make leather absolutely waterproof, 
and especially such soft leather as is used in the manufacture 
of vests and clothing of that kind, is an impossibility. The 
ordinary leather vest is the best possible sort of winter wear 
for the man who can depend on his waterproof or rainproof 
coat in case of a downpour, but if once the ordinary leather 
vest gets thoroughly soaked under the tunic it is a snare 
and a delusion, and a cause of much profanity — warmth of 
the wrong sort. This is inevitable, but the value of the 
garment is attested by the very large numbers taken out by 
practical men. Doubtless they find a way of keeping their 
vests dry. 
Wind — and a Waterproof Ve$t 
Both for ordinary wear and for motoring and aviation 
there is nothing like leather for keeping out the biting winds 
that blow across the bare plains of Western Belgium and 
Northern France. Oiled silk is windproof, but it has not the 
wearing qualities of leather, and will not stand the extreme 
demands made on clothing by campaigning — at least, it will 
not stand them for any time — while the use of oiled silk 
introduces the problem of ventilation, which, curiously 
enough, does not seem to come in to any extent with leather 
goods. Now, if one could get a leather under-tunic or vest 
which, in addition to being windproof, was as nearly as 
possible waterproof, the ideal winter underwear would be 
found. 
The Leather Vest 
I found this ideal garment the other day, though up to 
'the present time I have not been able to make practical trial 
i,f it — which would involve getting nearly wet through so far 
as all surfaces not covered by the vest are concerned. For 
it is no use trying the garment by any other means than by 
wearing it ; what must be ascertained is the capability of the 
vest to withstand a soaking-wet tunic rubbing against it for 
,1 few hours at least, and no other trial is practical. But the 
maker claims that this particular vest is waterproof, as that 
term is understood in its relative sense — that is, it is as 
waterproof as the ordinary mackintosh. And certainly the 
leather looks like it. Imagine the leather that is used in the 
{Continued on page 1G7) 
f ^/VtV->^ 
SHIRTMAKER 
,277 HIGH HOLBORN LONDON/ 
EtUbllihed 
80 /ears. 
Khak I 
Shirts 
made to measure on the premises in 
^ 2 HOURS 
Send lo-day fcr palieins and prices. 
J. W. TACON, 8p?ci«n,t 277 High Holborn, LONDON. 
JeUphone : CetUra! IH3, 
Cables and ItUgram-. 
' Skirtmaktr, Lendon. 
THE FINEST LINEN HANDKERCHIEFS IN THE WORLD 
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and with any hand -embroidered 
Old English initial. About size (about 21 ins.) 
3C ins. square with I in. l | /Q 
hem. 
Per doz. 
Per doz, 
fine Linen Cambric, with 
corded borders. Usual hand-embroidered i in. mono- 
gram (any two letter combina- 
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16/3 
Larger size (about C3ins. ), with { in, 
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: 13/11 
per doz. - 18/9 
We quote three hindkerchiefs, we have others to suit all tastes and all purses. Price List and 
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Khaki Handkerchiefs from 1/11^ per doz. I 
Robinson &LCleaver 
156-170 REGENT STREET, LONDON, and BELFAST 
NEILGHERRY 
MILITARY CANES 
Knob Covered Pigskin 7/6 
Covered all over Pigskin 10/6 
Chamois Leather Towels 
Price 
4 6 each. 
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. . Extra Large and Strong . . 
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made from an Officer's design. 
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WIRE NIPPERS 
Insulated Handles. Complete in Leather Case. 
12/6 
Send for Full List of 
. War Equipment. . . 
SWAINE <S ADENEY 
By appointment to H.M. The King 
185 PICCADILLY, W. 
JOHN WRIGHT & SON 
Military, Naval, and Mufti Tailors, 
130 St. Vincent Street, GLASGOW. 
These ESSENTIALS- 
1. 
2. 
3. 
4. 
CORRECT REGULATION 
EXCELLENCE OF QUALITY 
FIRST^CLASS WORKMANSHIP 
PRACTICAL EXPERIENCE OF 
OFFICERS' REQUIREMENTS 
characterise all our Uniforms. 
'65 
